Howling for My Baby Read online

  Wrapping his arms around his body, he waited and tried to ignore the shouts he heard, but couldn’t. Oh, damn, I’m going to have to go back inside. He grimaced and whined like a young pup. “But I don’t wan-na.”

  Max and Jason burst through the side door, skidded to a stop to glance around, and changed their direction to run toward him.

  Benjy wiped away a tear of relief. “Oh, thank the lucky stars above me. You survived.”

  Jason, looking like he’d been puréed in a giant blender, sprinted in front of Max and grabbed Benjy’s shirt in his fists. “Come on, Benjy. Syd’s still in there.” He whirled and started for the building, almost yanking him off his feet.

  Benjy had no alternative except to stumble along with Jason. “Jay-Jay, don’t you think Maxy needs to learn not to set a trap?”

  Jason stopped, glanced between the building and the hunter, and reversed direction again. Tearing off what little remained of his clothes, he started to shift. Max lost no time running for his pickup. Jason continued to transform, throwing clothes in the air, and dashed after the hot-footed hunter.

  Benjy danced on the balls of his feet and tried to figure out which direction he should go. He bit his lip and envisioned himself marching into the group of hunters—alone. Uh-uh. No way am I going inside without Jason. Waving his hand in the air, he ran after his leader who was in fervent pursuit of the hunter. “I’m right behind you, Jay-Jay.”

  The large wolf landed on Max’s shoulders and knocked him to the ground. Max’s scream drowned out the shouting from the group inside the building. Yet his shrieks grew even louder when Jason opened his jaws wide, letting saliva from his fangs drip on to the shrieking man’s neck. Benjy slid to a stop next to the pair.

  “Yuck. How crass.” Yet having Jason take charge was a relief. The tension in his body flowed out of him in trembling waves.

  “You lousy scumbag. You may have helped me get out, but you’re the one who set this up.” Jason slashed Max’s back, eliciting more cries from the terrified hunter. Benjy almost felt sorry for him.

  “But you know what? I don’t mind you coming after me. And I’d expect a hunter to use underhanded methods. But to put your ex-girlfriend in danger—someone you say you care about—is low-down dirty rotten, man. Even for a hunter.”

  Benjy leaned over backward and pretended to shuffle under an invisible limbo pole. “How low can you go, Maxy?”

  “Get off me! I swear I won’t come near you or Sydney ever again.” With a screech, Max pushed his body off the ground and tried to crawl away.

  Jason grabbed his prey by the shirt collar, lifted the man into the air, and shook him like a rag doll. “You bet you won’t. Screwing with us is going to get real difficult from your new home in the ground. Cell phone reception sucks when you’re six feet under. What a drag.”

  “Jay-Jay, don’t you think you need to help Syd now?”

  Jason looked up at Benjy and shook his head as though suddenly remembering he was there. The amber in his eyes dimmed a little at the mention of Syd’s name, but the hate, the anger soon intensified again. “You’re right.” Snarling, he dropped Max to the ground, straddled him, and placed his snout against the man’s ear. “You stay here with my friend. You move? You die. Get it?”

  Without waiting for Max to answer, Jason motioned for Benjy to take his place. He did, enjoying the feel of his bottom resting on Max’s muscular torso.

  Jason howled, whirled, and bolted toward the building. “Don’t let him get away.”

  “As you say, my lovey leader.” Unable to resist the temptation, he started stripping off his clothes to morph. “Oh, Maxy, sweetie. I knew we’d end up like this before the night was over. I simply knew it. How about a little taste of what’s to come?” Slowly, he slid his tongue over the man’s cheek. Max squirmed, but Benjy held him fast. “Don’t fight it, big boy. You know you want it.” Benjy chuckled, put his mouth close to Max’s ear and whispered, “You’ve always wanted to try wolf meat, haven’t you? How about I convert you to our side and we can romp together under the moon for the rest of our long lives?”

  Max tried to push off the ground, but Benjy held him down with one paw and wagged his tail at his captive. “Uh. Uh. Uh. You heard what my boss dog said.”

  “Jason! I shifted!”

  Syd and her father slammed the side door closed and stood waiting for Jason to shift to human again. Once in human form, Jason straightened up to his full height, reared back his arm, and took a swing at Skeller. He knocked the older man to the ground and was about to jump on him when Syd stepped between them.

  “No, Jason. Save the fight for later. They’re coming after us and I don’t think the stuff we threw in their way will slow them down much.” Nonetheless, she took time to hug him. “Did you hear me? I shifted. At least part of the way. Cool, huh?”

  Skeller scrambled to his feet and took Syd by the arm. “I’m taking her home and you’re not going to stop me.”

  A banging against the door jolted everyone. Sensing Jason’s indecision, Benjy shouted and waved him over. “Let him, Jason. He’ll take care of her and we’ll meet up with her later. Right now, our pretty little butts better hightail it out of here.”

  Without waiting for Jason to agree, Skeller wrapped both hands around his daughter’s arm, tugged her along to his truck, and shoved her into the passenger side. Jason glanced at the door where the pounding and curses had grown stronger, louder and dashed over to Benjy. “He’d better not hurt her or I’m holding you responsible.” He changed to wolf form in a matter of seconds and growled, adding to his warning.

  The door burst open, ramming against the wall with a thunderous bang. Hunters poured out of the building, took one look at the two groups and split into two directions.

  Group one headed for Skeller’s truck, but he’d already turned over the motor and put the truck into gear. Dirt and gravel sprayed at them in Skeller’s haste to get out of the parking lot. The second group waited for the first hunters to join them before they turned toward him, Jason, and Max.

  The first shot rang out, sending Jason into a crouch. He howled and ran toward the surrounding trees. Benjy, however, couldn’t resist one final tease at Max. Widening his jaws to let his teeth shine from the glow of a nearby lamplight—thank you, Crest Whitestrips—he inclined his head, pretending to bite the hunter.

  Max screamed and thrashed, but couldn’t get free. Instead of biting him, Benjy readjusted his head to see the hunters—and to let them see him. Grinning his best wolfish grin, he flipped Max over onto his back, grabbed the hunter’s head in his paws, and laid the biggest lick he could on the stunned man’s lips.

  “Love ya, baby. Call me, okay?”

  Baying in triumph, Benjy bolted up and rushed after Jason. Pausing at the edge of the clearing, he turned and watched the hunters descend on the still-screaming hunter. The pitiful protests Max gave them were nothing compared to their angry accusations of “wolf lover” and “pervert”.

  “Sure, Maxy. Try to tell them you weren’t turned on by my toned body. After all, it wasn’t my hard pole propping up the tent in your pants.” He loped into the night, proud to have done his part to save his friends.

  Chapter Nine

  “Skeller, I swear to God─”

  His quick turn around a corner sent Sydney sliding against the truck’s door. “Don’t! Don’t say a word while you’re in that condition. And stop calling me Skeller. I’m your dad.”

  She recognized the hurt in his tone and clammed up. Maybe she should call him Dad again—especially after he’d saved her butt from the hunters. Yet it still felt more natural to call him Skeller.

  “Ow. Slow down before you get us and some other innocent person killed.” She shouldn’t have let him drag her into his truck. But old habits were hard to break. Just like always. The father calls and the daughter comes.

  Skeller coughed out a sarcastic laugh. “Some other innocent? Are you saying you consider yourself innocent? After what you’ve become
?”

  So much for her father’s support. “No one is innocent or guilty, Dad.” She saw him glance her way at her emphasis on the affectionate term. “We’re all who we are. Nothing more, nothing less. You sound like I’m a pregnant slut instead of─” Skeller slammed on the brakes in front of his house, throwing her forward to almost bang her head on the dashboard.

  “Instead of what, Sydney? Instead of being one of those things?”

  Pulling the visor down and flipping up the cover to the mirror, Syd glanced at her reflection for the hundredth time since getting in the truck. She couldn’t get over it. She’d shifted—at least part of the way. The tuffs of hair along her jaw looked like furry badges of honor to her. Although she knew Skeller would never agree. “Those things? I’m sorry to hurt you this way, but I’m proud to be a shifter. Plus, if I had my way, Jason and I would start making little fur balls tonight.”

  The stricken expression on her father’s face sliced through her cleaner than any machete could have. Aw, hell, I’ve gone too far. Yet can’t he see how inevitable my situation is? Being a werewolf wasn’t something she could flip on and off like a light switch. Lycanthropy was her new existence, not a trendy lifestyle choice.

  He muttered a few choice words under his breath and piled out of the car. Racing to her side of the vehicle, he took her by the hand, making her follow behind him before she could think of anything else to say. The front door banged against the wall from the force he put behind their entrance, but he didn’t slow down until he’d reached the basement door. Forcing her along, he had her taking the basement stairs two at a time. Once they’d reached bottom, she at last managed to catch her breath.

  “Griswold? Are you home?”

  Her mother’s voice floated down to them and Syd started to answer. Skeller, however, slapped a hand over her mouth and shook his head. “Yeah, Miriam. I’m downstairs.”

  “Is someone with you? Is Sydney here?” Her footsteps crossed the floor above them, placing her in the kitchen near the hall leading to the basement.

  Believing her father would never lie to her mother, Syd arched an eyebrow and waited for him to answer.

  “Our daughter isn’t down here, Miriam.”

  When he removed his hand, Syd’s mouth fell wide before she could find her voice to rebuke him. “I don’t know which is worse, you lying to Mom or inferring I’m no longer your daughter.” If she didn’t know better, she’d swear her heart had just cracked open.

  He blinked, a sign his determination was weakening, but the stone-hard expression returned quickly enough to dispel any chance she had of winning him over. “You change back, Sydney Skeller, right now. I’m giving you an order. Change back and I won’t be lying.”

  She laughed and he shushed her again. “Oh, sure, Dad. No problem. Let’s see…” She patted her pockets and came up empty. “Shoot, I think I left the werewolf remote at home. I’ll have to make the switch later.”

  At her angry glare, he stalked to the other side of the room. “This can’t happen. My own daughter is a shifter.” He looked at her, pain and disappointment etched in his features. “Yet you haven’t transformed all the way.” He swallowed, the struggle of reality versus hope warring on his face. “Maybe there’s still a way to keep you human.”

  The man’s grasping for a lifeline. Yet she couldn’t let him deny her any longer. “What’re you talking about? Once a person’s changed, she’s changed.”

  He paced back and forth with his head down, running his hand across his neck. “I remember a rumor about a cure, an antidote. If you haven’t transformed all the way, I think we can get rid of the evil in you.”

  Oh, crap. He’s gone over the deep end. “It’s a rumor. A fairy tale. A joke. You know no one’s ever found a cure.”

  He stopped and raised his agonized face to hers. “I can’t give up. I can’t…” His words strangled together. Coughing, he straightened and regained part of his bravado. “If a cure is real, we’ll find it. I won’t let you down, honey.”

  The ache in his tone robbed her of any animosity. “Dad, it’s all right. Don’t worry. I’ll always be your little girl. Nothing’s changed. Except maybe for the facial hair problem. But I’m still me. Down deep in my soul where it counts.” She started toward him and knew the pain of rejection when he stumbled away. “Dad, don’t.”

  “I can’t, honey. I just can’t… Not when you’re like you are right now. And I won’t let your poor mother see you this way. It’ll break her heart.”

  Like you broke mine? Would he keep her from her own mother? She loved both of them and wanted them in her life. The tiny stab of doubt, the fear of not fitting in with her family that she’d had off and on all her life, zipped through her and, as she always did, she sloughed it off. “What are you saying? I’m barred from family get-togethers? No more Thanksgivings? Are you afraid I’ll howl at the fireworks on Independence Day? Or bite Aunt Ethel on New Year’s Eve?”

  His stricken expression returned full force. “I don’t know. I’ll think about those things later. But I can’t let Miriam see you. At least not until you revert to human form. All the way to human form.”

  Should she tell him that her mother already knew? But her mother had kept her secret, so how could she expose hers? “Sorry, but I am what I am, whether you like that or not.” She waited for a response and, when she didn’t get one, started toward the stairs.

  If anyone had asked her if her father would ever hurt her, she’d have laughed and told them they were crazy. Yet when he jumped in front of her, blocking her path up the steps, she instinctively sidestepped to put some distance between them.

  “You’re not going anywhere.” He crossed his arms to reinforce his declaration. “Not until you get rid of any sign of animal on you.”

  Damn. He does think I can turn it off and on. “You don’t understand. I can’t simply say, ‘Wolf, wolf, go away. Come again another day.’ I’m not in control. Not yet. Worse for you, I think my body’s morphing more each second. Making me mad isn’t going to help me stop its progress.”

  Determination replaced the angst on his face. “I don’t believe you. I’ve seen lots of shifters change from human to wolf and return to human within seconds. You’re staying down here until you become totally human again. Discussion over.”

  Arguing with him wouldn’t get her what she wanted. “Wow, talk about déjà vu. Isn’t this the same argument we had over my curfew?” She grinned at him and hoped her levity would make him relent. “But, Dad, all the wolf kids are doing it.” But he didn’t budge. She should’ve known a joke wouldn’t do the trick.

  He grumbled something under his breath, making her wish she’d kept her mouth shut. Griswold Skeller grumbling was never a good thing.

  “You know what you have to do, Sydney.” With one last grumble, he turned and started up the stairs.

  “Where’re you going?” She hopped onto the first step, but he’d hurried up the stairs and was already at the top and opening the door. “Are you serious? You’re planning on holding me prisoner?”

  Without saying another word, he crossed the threshold, took one last look at her and shut the door. She heard the click of the lock and gasped.

  ƒ

  “Griswold, what do you think you’re doing?” Miriam stood behind her husband, watching him flip through the pages in the phone book.

  “Nothing, Miriam.” When she tried to peek over his shoulder, he adjusted his bulk to obscure her view. He hated lying to her, but the less she knew about Sydney, the better. Yet how could he keep what had happened from her?

  “Don’t treat me like some mindless twit. I can see something terrible has you all worked up. Is it Sydney? Is she all right?”

  He wanted to tell her. Wanted someone who would share his pain, the loss he felt. Wanted her to help him through this. At last, he saw the number he needed, picked up the phone and dialed.

  He turned to face his wife and motioned for her to stay quiet. The phone rang five, six times, each u
nanswered ring tightening his grip on the hand piece. He gritted his teeth while trying to appear in control, but knew he failed by the way her features hardened. When the person on the other end finally picked up, his knees nearly buckled from the relief swamping through him.

  “Welcome, caller, you are most fortunate tonight. You have reached Madame Medusala, medium extraordinaire. I am home and I am alone. If you’re a handsome fella, speak up.”

  If she’s a real psychic wouldn’t she know I’m a “fella”? Skeller opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, and opened it again. This is a world-class medium? This flirty talker is the person who can help my daughter? But he had to take a chance. He had no other options. “Uh, is this Madame Medusala? The medium?”

  “Well, sugar, isn’t that what I just said? I’m the best medium you’re ever going to meet. We are going to meet, aren’t we?” At his pause, she continued, “Of course, we are. Madame Medusala knows all, sees all and, for the right price, tells all.”

  “I was told you could help people get better.” He shook his head at Miriam’s worried expression.

  “Get better what, sugar?”

  The titters on the other end lifted the hairs on his neck. “Uh, I need you to exorcise a, er, an evil from my daughter.” Miriam’s hand flew to her mouth to stifle her cry, yet he still wouldn’t let her interrupt. “She’s in trouble. Can you come over and help her?”

  The silence on the other side added a thousand legs to the willies crawling up his spine. Still, it didn’t matter. He didn’t care who or what he had to deal with to straighten out this nightmare. He had to help Sydney.

  “Is she violent?”

  How had it come to this? I’m calling a medium to save my Sydney’s soul. Can this be real? “No, she’s not violent. She’s the sweetest human being you’d ever want to know. Can you come over to my home right away?”